Tweet Writing a novel is hard work, and it takes a lot of time. And by the time you’re done with your first draft, you’re going to have one of two thoughts: This is the best thing ever! I can’t wait to share it with the world! This whole thing is crap. I should chuck […]

Also filed in ||Comments Off on The Second Draft: The Beginning of Editing

Tweet Recently I let you hear from one of my freelance editor friends, Laurie. One thing that she mentioned is that your manuscript (MS) needs to be in good condition before you send it off to your editor. Your manuscript needs to be polished and perfected, written at least four times, before you hand it […]

Tweet Commas are a tricky beast for everyone. There are so many uses for the comma, and many times it feels like you’re just supposed to use your best judgment. But too often those pauses become unnatural and cumbersome, or, if you decide to be sparse, your readers feel like they’re galloping through a sentence. […]

Tweet Hi! I’m back! I hope you learned a lot from Laurie’s posts of the past couple of weeks. Now it’s time to get back to something that I love very much: the rules. Last time I wrote here, I covered the different types of editing that an editor might be required to perform on […]

Tweet Last time I helped you locate independent editors and, hopefully, encouraged you to actually use one for your next literary masterpiece. This time, I’d like to help you take the next step to actually choosing and using an editor. The most important thing to remember is that this relationship is a give and take. […]

Also filed in |Tagged Jessie Sanders|Comments Off on How to Choose an Editor

Tweet Finding a freelance editor these days is pretty easy. We’re pretty much everywhere. Finding an editor who fits your needs, who is right for you, is the hard part. Yes, editors are everywhere, but let’s assume you’re not one of them. Let’s assume you’re a first time author publishing independently. Where should you begin? […]

Tweet Hi! It’s your editor again. Remember me? I’m the one that makes sure your book is actually ready to be read by your adoring fans. If you’re confused about what an editor actually does, that might be because we do so many different things. Technically, everything we do is editing, but there’s a lot […]

Tweet Two weeks ago I introduced myself and explained that I’m the editor for Consortium Books. In the world of self-publishing, editors are more important than ever to add credibility to your work. Why? Let me tell you. Unless you’re publishing your book to hold it in your hands, hug it, and then put in on a […]

Tweet As an editor, a major part of my job is to correct a writer’s grammar. This includes spelling errors, incorrect homophones (or words that sound similar but aren’t if you think about it), punctuation, and word choice. Each month I’ll share with you some common mistakes I find in the works that I edit and how […]

Tweet Good morning, readers and writers! I’m Jessie Sanders. You may have heard of me. No? Well, that’s probably becuase I’m the editor. I’ve been editing my own work since I was a teenager. I come from a family of perfectionists and English majors, so I would often craft a few pages of a story […]